Scrapers of various types and configurations have been produced by numerous manufacturers for over a century. A first category of scraper known to those of ordinary skill involved in the fabrication of such tools consists of retractable scrapers, which generally include a handle into which a blade slide carrying a blade can be selectively retracted. Two sub-categories of retractable scraper are exemplified by (i) a scraper in which a blade is carried by a blade slide and “sandwiched” between the blade slide and an interior surface of the handle and (ii) a scraper that includes a blade slide with upper and lower blade-engaging members between which the blade is retained at least in part by a biasing force produced by the flexing of at least one of the blade-engaging members. Scrapers of the first sub-category do not provide the same level of blade retention as those of the second sub-category. However, with scrapers of the second sub-category, blade removal is lateral relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle body, and can be difficult to remove. Examples of blade scrapers of the first and second sub-categories are illustrated in, respectively, U.S. Pat. No. to and U.S. Design Pat. No. D346319 to Lavallee et al.
In scrapers of the second category, the blade is retained between upper and lower clamping members that are alternatively drawn together and separated by a mechanism such as a threaded rod. However, in existing scrapers of this type, the blade is not retracted into a housing when not in use. Instead, the clamping mechanisms are loosened, the blade is flipped around such that the scraping and rear edges of the blade are reversed and the clamping mechanisms are again tightened to retain the blade for storage. It will be readily appreciated that scrapers of the second category have associated with them inconveniences not associated with scrapers of the first general category (i.e., retractable blade scrapers).
Accordingly, there exists a need for a blade scraper that facilitates, among other functions, selective retractability of the blade into a protective housing, longitudinal removability of the blade along the handle body axis, and the blade-retaining advantages of a scraper having a blade slide with upper and lower blade-engaging members.